μάλη

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. It does not seem probable that this word is a shortened form of μασχάλη (maskhálē, “armpit”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /má.lɛː/ → /ˈma.li/ → /ˈma.li/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /má.lɛː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈma.le̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈma.li/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈma.li/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈma.li/

Noun

μᾰ́λη • (málē) f (genitive μᾰ́λης); first declension

1. (anatomy) armpit, axilla

   Synonym: μασχάλη (maskhálē)

Usage notes

The word is used almost only in the expression ὑπὸ μάλης (hupò málēs, “under the armpit, secretly”).

Inflection

First declension of ἡ μᾰ́λη; τῆς μᾰ́λης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ μᾰ́λη hē málē	τὼ μᾰ́λᾱ tṑ málā	αἱ μᾰ́λαι hai málai
Genitive	τῆς μᾰ́λης tês málēs	τοῖν μᾰ́λαιν toîn málain	τῶν μᾰλῶν tôn malôn
Dative	τῇ μᾰ́λῃ têi málēi	τοῖν μᾰ́λαιν toîn málain	ταῖς μᾰ́λαις taîs málais
Accusative	τὴν μᾰ́λην tḕn málēn	τὼ μᾰ́λᾱ tṑ málā	τᾱ̀ς μᾰ́λᾱς tā̀s málās
Vocative	μᾰ́λη málē	μᾰ́λᾱ málā	μᾰ́λαι málai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

References

• “μάλη”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• μάλη in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN